Canada CU CEO Criticizes Outsourcing to Other Countries

Doug Eveneshen, president/CEO of Community Savings Credit Union in Surrey, British Columbia, said he is concerned about the use of temporary foreign workers and the outsourcing of Canadian jobs.

“I am alarmed at the trend of reducing costs by outsourcing to offshore locations when there are Canadian jobs at stake,” Eveneshen said. “We have criteria in place that guarantees vendors will only use local labor when working on behalf of Community Savings.”

The $454 million credit union serves more than 11,000 members and has six branches in Vancouver and Victoria in the Canadian province.

Several Canadian publications have reported on a Royal Bank of Canada employee who was allegedly fired when he mentioned an outsourcing firm that the bank is working with was bringing in workers from India to replace a group of high-tech Canadian workers.

RBC said Friday it is expecting to create 400 to 500 jobs in Canada over the next 18 months.

An outcry of criticism has prompted the Canadian government to review its temporary foreign worker program, media outlets have reported.

“For nearly 70 years, we've strived to support our families and the communities where work and live by actively seeking out local products and services for company use,” Eveneshen said.

Community Savings said it was the first financial institution in British Columbia to sign the Living Wage Agreement, supporting it by paying all employees a fair wage that exceeds the provincial minimum. The credit union said it is also the only fully unionized credit union in the province.

“As a co-operative, our members benefit when we support and reinvest in our communities," Eveneshen said. “We are accountable to our members, not shareholders; this is how Community Savings Credit Union puts people before profit.”